Frequently Asked Questions for Crane Operators.

Frequently asked questions for crane operators

Frequently Asked Questions

About the Class

Apprenticeships offered through trade unions take between 6400 to 8400 hours to complete, and they are designed to make an operator *qualified. The California Crane School test preparation program intended to give candidates everything they need to pass their Written Exams, and give them the opportunity to take the Practical Exams. The class gets operators *certified in the fastest, most efficient way possible. Taking the class won't make you a qualified crane operator, but it will put a certification card in your pocket. The rest is up to you.

We don't just teach test preparation, we help candidates understand the principles of crane operation. This is what makes California Crane School so effective at getting candidates to meet OSHA's 29 CFR 1926 Subpart CC and ASME's B 30.5. California Crane School takes a motivational, fun approach to the crane operator certification process which results in some of the highest pass rates on Written Exams in the country. California Crane School has conducted hundreds of classes around the country with thousands of candidates passing their Written Exams the first time around. Anyone can teach a boring crane safety class, we get you to pass (safety included).

There are always employers looking for certified crane operators. Most of the time they won't even consider you unless you are a certified operator, because the last thing they want is to spend $1800 to send you to a crane school; get you certified; and have you leave to go work for another company. Typically they like to have you come to them already certified. Companies will then train you their way. There are a lot of job opportunities out there for certified operators, we get calls all the time.

This class is not going to teach you everything you need to know about crane. At the same time, it is going to be really difficult for you to get a job without a certification (just like it would be hard to get a driving job without a driver's license). This class is designed for people who are already crane operators and need to pass the test. The good news is, the less a candidate knows about cranes the better they will do on the Written Exams. The reason for this is; candidates that have been operating cranes for years learned things a different way than the books want them to do it. This makes it more difficult for them to unlearn their old ways and learn to do it by the book. This is what they are tested on with the crane certification exams.

If you have never operated a crane before we probably could not turn you into an amazing crane operator in three days. However, if you want to get certified, you have come to the right place. If a candidate can add, subtract, and speaks English, we can easily get them through the Written Exams the first time. If the candidate speaks English as a second language, we can also make it happen as we have done for hundreds of English as second language candidates.

As far as the Practical Exams go, if a candidate knows how to stop the load or hook from swinging, with a few pointers they can typically pass the Practical Exams. If not, they need to get some time on a crane. If no cranes are available to the candidate, our cranes are available at a cost of $125 per hour with an instructor. We can typically get a candidate who has never been on a crane through the Practical Exam in less than 2 hours to pass the Practical Exams. Some candidates require more training, some require less.

You do not need a driver's license. If you have a DUI, that does not matter either in terms of taking the class and testing to get certified. Your employer might have a different perspective on it, but for the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operator exams, it doesn't matter. As for needing a driver's license to operate a crane -- if you were to drive an all terrain crane or boom truck down the road, that is something the department of motor vehicles would govern for the same reasons a driver's license is required to drive on the interstate. But on a job site if you're driving a rough terrain crane or a crawler crane on dirt then no, you do not need a driver's license.

California Crane School crane operator training & certification program includes a written preparation training class guaranteed to get candidates to pass the crane operator certification Written Exams and the opportunity for candidates to take their Practical Exams on each telescopic crane type (swing + fixed cab telescopic boom crane). The price also includes all the applicable written + practical testing fees to the testing company which total $225. We do not believe in misleading our customers with hidden fees. Price does not include any late or incomplete fees to the testing company.
Total crane operator training and certification package $1,795

California Crane School invented the three day crane operator certification program. From our hundreds of classes worth of experience we understand how long it takes for people to pass the Written Exams and take their Practical Exams. If a class is shorter it is usually not enough to get a candidate through the crane certification exams. If a class is longer this probably means they have time to get into war stories of how big the load was that you lifted, or how much boom you have operated with. As much as we would love to discuss these kinds of things in class we do not set aside time for it.California Crane School guarantees you pass the Written Exams after our class or the next class with us is free.

1) How many crane operator certification classes have you conducted?2) How many of your candidates pass there crane operator certification Written Exams the first time?3) How long is your crane-training course?4) Which reputable companies have you conducted your crane operator training & certification classes for?5) What do your customers say about you?6) Can you guarantee the candidate will pass after your training class?

Yes. The certification is issued through the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) which has certified over 90% of every certified crane operator in the United States. It is the same program that is offered by many labor unions around the country, and is by far the most popular certification program in the US.

Everybody meets the eligibility for the class. However, to meet the eligibility for the test is a different story. There are medical requirements, physical requirements, be 18 years of age, have to attest that you've passed a drug test.

You do not need to buy books for the class. We recommend the less that you study the better off you are going to be. NCCCO (the testing company) pulls information from ANSI, ASME, OSHA; IPT's Rigging Manual, the Mobile Crane Manual, Bob's Rigging Handbook -- a lot of different sources of information. Some of these references conflict with each other. All you need to do is come to the class. We will teach you everything you need to know to get certified. After the class.... we encourage you to further educate yourself, but prior to the class, it is probably just going to confuse you.
For more information, check out our Study Materials page.

When you call, tell our Test Coordinator the make and model of the crane and they will be able to let you know if it is a fixed cab or a swing cab crane. Crawler or truck crane. Lattice boom or telescopic boom, and so on.

To accept the GI Bill, the government requires that schools be accredited as post-secondary education programs. In order to be accredited as a post secondary program we would be required to provide a job placement service and this is something we don't do. However, if you are looking for work, we always talk to different companies that are looking for employees.

to take the Written Exams or the NCCCO Testing Services Department will charge a $50 late fee (no proceeds from late or incomplete fees go to California Crane School). Candidates must be signed up for the Written Exams at least one week in advance or NCCCO's Testing Services Department will not allow them to test. Candidates wishing to take only the Practical Exam can call California Crane School at (888) 957-PASS (7277) and schedule this at any time. All crane certification paperwork including candidate's photo is done on site.

No. For instance if a candidate fails one specialty Written Exam, the testing company charges the candidate $65 to retest. If the candidate fails any other specialty exams, the testing company charges $10 for each additional exam, and if the candidate fails the core test, the testing company charges $165. California Crane School does not charge for any candidates who come back for retesting to attend the class or to sit in on the Written Exam. If the candidate fails a Practical Exam, California Crane School charges $250 to retest; this price includes all testing fees charged by the NCCCO Testing Services Department.

You can retest the same day that you get your results from the previous test. If you'd like to attend one of our test sessions, you must sign up in advance. There is also the option to do Computer-Based Testing (CBT).

The Core Exam is a 90 question test. You need a 70% to pass which = must answer 54 questions correctly.| The Specialty Exam is a 26 question test that consists of multiple choice and load chart questions. The load chart questions are weighted heavier and count for more points than the multiple choice, so it is not possible to say how many you must have correct, but, it is a fact that you must have a score of 70% or higher to pass the Specialty portion of the Written Exams.

The testing company typically takes 2 - 3 weeks to send candidates the results of their Written Exams and about 3 - 5 weeks to send candidates the results of their Practical Exams. If your results have not come in by that time you should call the NCCCO Testing Services Department at (727) 449-8525.

Since most of the Practical Exams require that a crane's boom length be set to 70% - 75% for testing, we use the smallest cranes possible to meet the requirement. It makes the test easier. All of our cranes are Cal-OSHA certified and are used only for practical testing.

Students that require testing on both fixed-cab and swing-cab crane types, must complete their Practical testing for both cranes during the same class session. If the student decides they are not ready to test, and would rather be tested on one of the crane types later, a $100 fee will be charged.
Note: students have 12 months from the date they pass their Written Exam to pass their Practical Exams and have all tests count toward the same certification.

Candidates that sign-up to test on both the fixed-cab and swing-cab cranes often want to be tested on the crane type they use for work first, because it's more important that they pass that practical.

The examiner is not allowed to tell a candidate what their score is. However, he will show a video before the practical exam(s) that describes how much time is given to pass each task. Most candidates know right away whether they passed a practical or not.

It is possible for a candidate to retest on the same crane after a failed attempt, but a $75 fee is applied.

For example:

Bob signs up for both fixed/swing

Bob operates a swing-cab crane at work, so...

Bob chooses to test on the swing-cab first

Bob thinks he failed the swing-cab practical

Bob wants to try again

Bob can retest on the swing-cab crane but he will be charged $75 (and forfeit his opportunity to test on the fixed-cab crane).

General Policies

You may request a replacement card using the NCCCO Certification Card Online Order Form or by contacting NCCCO's Testing Services Department. Please be aware that there is a $25 administrative fee for replacement of Certification Cards.